Collatz is BSODing my computer

[Maxwell]

Errrr..... Hmmmmmmm, I have an idea.

You have 2x sticks of RAM. Pull one out and run Collatz. Your system will probably run a little slower. After the test, pass or fail, replace the installed stick with the one you pulled. Test again.

Reasoning: It is rare to have all the RAM sticks go bad. And since it is fairly easy and painless to install/remove RAM, this will be a fast way of physically testing for bad RAM. So one of the sticks should be able to run Collatz. That would be the "Good Stick".

The "Bad Stick" is therefore possessed. Call for a Priest and have the silicon exorcised. Then burn it at the stake just to be sure.......

You know, I had a not dissimilar thought, but didn't know particularly how to test it...

I actually have 4 sticks - 4x2Gb sticks. The Mobo has two sets of two "matching slots" (technical term ). Can I just pull one stick at a time and run with it? And since all four sticks are identical, is the empty RAM slot an arbitrary decision, or is there one (or two) slots I need to make sure are filled?

@Harley - My BIOS is telling me it's running at 1333, but CPU-Z is picking it up at 1339.2. What do I change to fix that? What is a RAM ratio?

And yeah, kicking something is not far off. Maybe a child petting a dog...

[Fire$torm]

You know, I had a not dissimilar thought, but didn't know particularly how to test it...

I actually have 4 sticks - 4x2Gb sticks. The Mobo has two sets of two "matching slots" (technical term ). Can I just pull one stick at a time and run with it? And since all four sticks are identical, is the empty RAM slot an arbitrary decision, or is there one (or two) slots I need to make sure are filled?

@Harley - My BIOS is telling me it's running at 1333, but CPU-Z is picking it up at 1339.2. What do I change to fix that? What is a RAM ratio?

And yeah, kicking something is not far off. Maybe a child petting a dog...

OK, here is the deal.....

I decided I needed to read the manual for a change

My idea was to have only one stick of RAM on the MB which your MB does support. The caveat is that the memory will run a LOT slower because its dual channel memory.

Since you have 4 matching sticks you can use a modified version of the test.
It would be best to put a small piece of masking tape on each stick to label them as 1 through 4 or A through D.

Now, using only memory slots #1 and #2, test the sticks in pairs. 1+2, 3+4, 1+3, 2+4, 1+4 and 2+3.

[Shadow]

Seems weird that whatever did this messed with so much. RAM timings, gpu clocks, etc. But since everything else is so out of whack, might want to check your voltage settings for the RAM too.

[Mumps]

Since you have 4 matching sticks you can use a modified version of the test.
It would be best to put a small piece of masking tape on each stick to label them as 1 through 4 or A through D.

Now, using only memory slots #1 and #2, test the sticks in pairs. 1+2, 3+4, 1+3, 2+4, 1+4 and 2+3.

Actually, do a binary test. Theoretically one pair should work OK. So test 1+2, then 3+4. record if either pair works OK. If either pair fails, you now swap in one from the other pair to determine which one is at fault. So three tests total rather than doing all 6 combinations.

[Maxwell]

Actually, do a binary test. Theoretically one pair should work OK. So test 1+2, then 3+4. record if either pair works OK. If either pair fails, you now swap in one from the other pair to determine which one is at fault. So three tests total rather than doing all 6 combinations.

Well, that makes sense. But having run every combo, futzed with clocks/timings, and still seeing the same issues, I'm off RAM now. I've run several RAM stressing programs, and can't get an error. I'm working on VRAM right now...

[joker]

Time for a 1000W PSU!

[Maxwell]

Time for a 1000W PSU!

He says to someone with a 1000W Gold Rated PSU already in there...

And the PSU is running MW right now, so I don't think it's a power issue. Good suggestion, though...

[joker]

You never know when your PCI bus has gone bad.

[zombie67]

I have a similar machine. Similar, in that it a PITA. It's an i7 with dual 5870s, and 6x1gb RAM. It's about a year old now. For the first 6 months, it did like yours is doing. Constantly crashing with some projects, not others. I tried changing GPUs around, tried swapping DIMMs around, replacing DIMMS, less, more, different combos. Nothing made any difference. Then one day, it was stable, so long as I didn't put it on a heavy RAM project. 6 months later, I have been able to slowly add heavy RAM projects, and no problems so far. The lesson learned? There is no god damn rhyme or reason to this stuff sometimes. God hates you, and you have to put up with it for as long as he has his eye on you. Either that or life is completely random, which is even more unnerving.

[joker]

Yes, Sauron is after your a$$!